Daily 1 mg doses of a cortisone derivative, betamethasone, caused an increase in oocyst production and extended the patent period of E. mivati infections in partially immunized chickens. The more prolonged the course of cortisone injections, the greater the effect, although this was substantial when only a single dose was given, especially if this was at or near to the time of oocyst inoculation. E. mivati infections in susceptible chickens were similarly affected but not to such a great extent.

The possible means whereby cortisone treatment reduces acquired immunity to E. mivati infection are discussed.

Thanks are due to Mrs P. Hesketh and to other members of the parasitology department for technical assistance, also to the senior poultry attendant for care of the animals. Mr C. C. Wannop examined several of the birds post mortem.

The resistance of captive reared red grouse to Trichostrongylus tenuis was measured as the proportion of ingested infective 3rd-stage larvae which failed to develop to adult worms. Individual grouse showed wide, repeatable variations in resistance. Seasonal variations may also have occurred. Red grouse acquired little or no effective immunity to reinfection after challenge with a single dose of infective larvae. In trickle-dosed grouse, however, adult worms weakly inhibited the establishment of incoming larvae in an intensity-dependent fashion. Despite this, the proportion of larvae established in trickle infections was similar to that in single-dose challenges.

An account is given of experiments on the aphistransmission of the composite virus disease of tobacco known as rosette. It is shown that the component viruses—the vein-distorting and mottle viruses—persist for long periods in the body of the aphis, and that as many as twenty consecutive tobacco plants can be infected in 24 hr. serial transfers without the insect having recourse to a fresh source of virus.

The aphis Myzus persicae is the most efficient vector, the aphis M. convolvuli being less effective. The aphides M. circumflexus and Macrosiphum gei failed to transmit the virus.

It is shown that the mottle virus can only be transmitted by the aphis when it is accompanied in the plant by the other component of the rosette disease, the vein-distorting virus. The latter virus is easily transmitted by the aphis, either alone or in combination with the mottle virus.

The writer's best thanks are due to Miss Margaret Short for her assistance with the large numbers of aphis-transmissions, and to Dr Douglas Lea and Dr Roy Markham for suggestions in the course of the work.

Experiments on hybridization between Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica were carried out to clarify whether a reproductive isolating mechanism appears between the two Fasciola species. Molecular evidence for hybridization was based on the DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region in nuclear ribosomal DNA, which differs between the species. The results suggested that there were not pre-mating but post-mating isolating mechanisms between the two species. However, viable adults of the hybrids F1 and F2 were produced from both parental F. hepatica and F. gigantica. The hybrids inherited phenotypic characteristics such as ratio of body length and width and infectivity to rats from parental Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. These findings suggest that reproductive isolation is incomplete between Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. Adults of the hybrids F1 and F2 were completely different in mode of reproduction from aspermic Fasciola forms that occur in Asia and seem to be offspring originated from hybridization between F. hepatica and F. gigantica and to reproduce parthenogenetically.

Five new species of Eimeria are described, viz. E. ablephari from Ablepharus boutonii (Scincidae), E. egerniae from Egernia whitii (Scincidae), E. gehyrae from Gehyra variegata (Gekkonidae), E. lampropholidus from Lampropholis guichenoti and E. leiolopismatis from Leiolopisma challengeri. The characters of these species and the other coccidia from lizards are tabulated and a host check-list is given. Gall bladder parasitism is discussed as is the significance of complete sporogony occurring within the host's body. Some ideas concerning the possible events occurring in the evolution of the Haemosporina are presented.

I wish to thank Miss J. Arnold of the Zoology Department, University of Western Australia, for her identification of many of the lizards and Miss S. Curtis for her drawings. Finally I wish to thank Dr H. M. D. Hoyte, Department of Parasitology, University of Queensland, for his interest and helpful criticism of the manuscript.

The shaping of a child's immune system starts in utero, with possible long-term consequences in later life. This review highlights the studies conducted on the development of the immune system in early childhood up to school-age, discussing the impact that environmental factors may have. Emphasis has been put on studies conducted in geographical regions where exposure to micro-organisms and parasites are particularly high, and the effect that maternal exposures to these may have on an infant's immune responses to third-party antigens. In this respect we discuss the effect on responses to vaccines, co-infections and on the development of allergic disorders. In addition, studies of the impact that such environmental factors may have on slightly older (school) children are highlighted emphasizing the need for large studies in low to middle income countries, that are sufficiently powered and have longitudinal follow-up components to understand the immunological footprint of a child and the consequences throughout life.

Cercariae of Diplostomum spathaceum penetrate the skin of fish, and then migrate along blood vessels and tissues towards the head and the eye-lens. We studied their orientation behaviour in tail fins of guppies and in chemical concentration gradients within agar-filled choice chambers. In fins, they entered veins and orientated cranially, independent of the blood flow and living cells. In choice chambers, they were attracted by a small molecular fraction of fish serum, D-glucose (at 1, 10, and 1000 μm), D-mannose, D-maltotriose and Cl-ions, whereas D-glucosamine repelled them (even at 1·0 nm). Amino acids were not attractive, but arginine in tetrapeptides attracted at concentrations as low as 1 μm and melatonin at 0·4–4·3 pm. We suggest a preliminary model for the behaviour of diplostomula in fish fins and attracting (+) or repelling (−) host cues: (1) migration towards deeper skin layers and avoidance of skin surface, cues: Cl-ions (+ and −), glucose (+), glucosamine (−), light radiation (−); (2) orientation in cranial direction, cue: Cl-ions (+); (3) localization of blood vessels, cues: glucose (+), arginine-residues (+); (4) localization of the retina, cue: melatonin (+). A comparison with the navigation mechanisms of tissue-migrating schistosomules and hookworm larvae reveals an enormous diversity of strategies.

Both CEF6, a cation-exchange fraction of soluble Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens (SEA), composed of the 2 antigens, alpha-1 and omega-1, and haemocyanin from the keyhole limpet, Megathura crenulata, have shown potential for immunodiagnosis of human schistosomiasis. Possible cross-reactivity between antigens in SEA and keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) was explored by Western immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using sera from rabbits immunized with KLH, SEA, CEF6, alpha-1, omega-1, or egg antigen k5. Both immunoassays revealed a high degree of serological cross-reactivity between the schistosome egg antigens and KLH, much of it due to sodium periodate- sensitive epitopes. Cross-reactivity with schistosome antigens with proven diagnostic efficacy may thus, in part, explain the usefulness of KLH for the diagnosis of human schistosomiasis mansoni.

Nematodes are common parasites of molluscs but are often overlooked. Both metastrongyloid and rhabditoid species dominate the fauna within land snail and slug populations. Nevertheless, a key characteristic of many laboratory studies is the ability of these terrestrial nematodes to utilize aquatic molluscs as auxiliary hosts. The significance of this to the ecology of the parasite has never been evaluated. There is increasing concern as to the impact of climate change on the epidemiology of many parasitic diseases. In particular, it has been suggested that host switching may increase under the pressure of extreme climatic conditions. It is therefore timely to assess the role that aquatic molluscs may play in transmitting terrestrial nematodes, which include species of medical and veterinary importance such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, A. vasorum, and Muellerius capillaris. The present review assesses the mechanisms of terrestrial nematode transmission through aquatic molluscs focusing on metastrongyloid and rhabditoid species, the importance of variable susceptibility of molluscan hosts, field studies on natural occurrence within aquatic habitats, and the impact of extreme climatic events (floods and droughts) that may increase in frequency under climate change.

The expression of the virulence character in the virulent line (YM) of Plasmodium yoelii yoelii was investigated. The level of virulence was measured by counting the parasitaemia of the mature red blood cells. Several sub-clones were isolated from the virulent line YM and each was tested for its level of virulence. Out of 10 sub-clones 1 showed a marked decrease in virulence. However, transmission of this sub-clone through mosquitoes fully restored its virulence. A clone isolated from the progeny of a cross between mild and virulent parents had an intermediate level of virulence. A sub-clone isolated from this intermediate virulent line exhibited greatly reduced virulence. Mosquito transmission of this sub-clone also restored its virulence to a level comparable with the virulent line YM.

Studies of population genetic structure of parasites can be used to infer which parasite genes are under selection. Here, the population structure of 4 genes associated with drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum (the chloroquine resistance transporter, pfcrt, dihydrofolate reductase, dhfr, dihydropteroate synthase, dhps, and multi-drug resistance, pfmdr-1) were examined in parasite populations in 3 villages in eastern Sudan and in an urban area of Khartoum, the capital. In order to differentiate the effects of drug selection from neutral influences on population structure, parasites were also genotyped for 3 putatively neutral microsatellite loci (polyα, TA81 and pfg377), and for 2 antigenic loci that are either under balancing selection or neutral, merozoite surface protein 1 and 2, (MSP-1 and MSP-2). Cross-sectional surveys were carried out during the peak transmission (wet) season and in the ensuing dry season. No significant variation in frequencies of MSP-1 and MSP-2 alleles was seen among villages in the eastern region and between the villages and Khartoum, nor between the wet and dry season. However, the drug resistance genes, pfmdr-1, pfcrt and dhfr and to a lesser extent the microsatellite loci showed high FST values when comparing villages with Khartoum, indicating strong geographical differentiation at these loci. Moreover, variation in frequencies of the drug resistance genes, pfmdr-1, pfcrt and dhfr, was observed between the wet and dry season. These differences most probably reflect the variation in drug pressure between each region, and in drug usage between the wet and dry season in a given region.

The normal position of attachment of the scolex of H. diminuta from day 6 to day 27 in single worm infections in male Wistar rats was determined. A migration forward from a position of attachment 30–40% down the length of the small intestine to the 10–20% region during day 7 to day 14 was confirmed. A concomitant and slightly faster movement backwards of the posterior of the worm led to the mid-point of the strobila changing from 35 to 50% down the intestine. By day 18 the worms were mature and occupied the whole small intestine except the anterior 10% and the posterior 5–10%. The worms weighed approximately 350 mg dry weight (= 1550 mg fresh weight) at maturity, no significant weight increase occurred thereafter.

6½ and 7½ day-old worms were transplanted from donor rats into the duodenum or posterior ileum. Nearly 100% recovery of the single worm transplants in recipient rats was obtained. Both anterior and posterior implanted worms returned to the region of the intestine from which they had been removed. Migration was measured over periods of 13–72 h and was found to be complete within 24 h. Worms transplanted into the duodenum continued to grow at nearly the normal rate but worm transplants into the posterior ileum lost nearly a day's growth. The significance of this point is discussed.

Opium was found to prevent migration of the tapeworm, but ligation of the bile duct did not prevent the tapeworm migrating forward from a point of insertion near the ileo-caecal junction.

The evidence confirms the concept that a tapeworm is a dynamic organism capable of recognizing a specific region of the intestine, of detecting when it is not in this region, of being able to interpret one or more stimuli to indicate direction and of having a motor system sufficiently coordinated to overcome peristalsis.

We gratefully acknowledge financial support by the Medical Research Council (London) and technical assistance from Miss Helen Stallard, B.Sc., Miss Pat Grant and Miss Gillian Moore. One of us (Trond Braten) wishes also to thank the University of Glasgow for the award of a Visiting Fellowship.

The ultrastructural and cytochemical changes accompanying intracellular digestion and cellular defecation in the haematin cell of Diclidophora merlangi have been described. Blood proteins of the host-fish are sequestered by endocytosis and degraded within an interconnecting network of channels that form an integral, but changing, part of the cell. The digestive enzymes involved originate in the granular endoplasmic reticulum and are packaged in the Golgi apparatus and transferred to the channels in Golgi vesicles. The rate of haemoglobin absorption and the activity of the Golgi, as judged by vesicle counts and staining intensities for thiamine pyrophosphatase activity, are stimulated by the introduction of host protein into the gut lumen. The haematin residues of digestion are extruded periodically into the lumen by exocytosis involving membrane fusion. The process is a continuous one and, in worms starved of food, can result in the complete evacuation of pigment from the cell. It is suggested that a lysosomal system operates in the digestive cycle of the haematin cell.

Effects of infection with the avian schistosome Trichobilharzia ocellata on the activity of the internal defence system of the intermediate snail host Lymnaea stagnalis were studied, utilizing an in vitro phagocytosis assay for determining haemocyte activity. A distinction was made between plasma- and cell-associated effects. The period immediately after penetration of the parasite into the snail host (1.5–72 h post-exposure (p.e.)) was extensively studied. In addition, several time-points coinciding with the later–successive–stages of parasite development (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks p.e.) were investigated. Plasma-associated enhancement of defence activity was found between 1.5 and 6 h p.e., followed by plasma-associated suppression between 12 and 72 h p.e. A cell-associated activation was found between 1.5 and 6 h p.e. and also at 8 and 10 weeks p.e. How these effects on the defence system may be related to phenomena observed in infected snails at these time-points is discussed.

Prolonged diapause is usually interpreted as an adaptation to unpredictable environmental conditions and resource availability. Many parasites usually face highly unpredictable environments, therefore prolonged diapause should be common among these organisms. Here we examine the occurrence and frequency of prolonged diapause in the ectoparasite Carnus hemapterus (Diptera: Cyclorrhapha, Acalyptratae). We found that the studied population is polymorphic with respect to diapause duration. Emergence of carnid flies after 2 and 3 wintering seasons was therefore detected in around 17% and 21% of the samples respectively. The number of flies with prolonged diapause ranked 0·88–50% with respect to the number of flies emerging during the first spring. Both the occurrence of prolonged diapause and the number of flies with a long life-cycle are related to the number of flies emerging during the first spring. The emergence pattern of flies with prolonged diapause was very similar to that observed for flies with a short cycle and occurred in synchrony with the occurrence of hosts. Prolonged diapause has been frequently reported in plant-feeding insects and in some host-parasitoid systems, but this is, to our knowledge, the second report ever on prolonged diapause in true parasites of animals. We discuss the reasons for the apparent rarity of prolonged diapause among these organisms.

Leishmania produce several types of mucin-like glycoproteins called proteophosphoglycans (PPGs) some of which are secreted while others are found on the surface of promastigotes and amastigotes. These proteins are thought to be important in the transmission, invasion and subsequent intracellular survival of parasites. The structure and function of PPGs are species and stage-specific in the case of L. major and L. mexicana, but no such information has hitherto been available for L. donovani. This study presents, for the first time, an initial characterization (localization) of PPG in sodium stibogluconate (SSG)-resistant and sensitive clinical isolates of L. donovani from Bihar (India) by confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blotting using antibodies to L. major PPG. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that both promastigotes and amastigotes possess PPG on their cell membrane and flagellar pocket membrane but its expression was variable in different isolates. The quantitative analysis by FACS and Western blotting showed that the expression and intensity of PPG bands was higher in SSG-resistant isolates. This study suggests the possibilities of involvement of PPG in drug-resistant mechanisms and of using PPG abundance as a marker for identifying drug-resistant clinical isolates in Indian kala azar.

Orangutans (Pongo spp.), Asia's only great apes, are threatened in their survival due to habitat loss, hunting and infections. Nematodes of the genus Strongyloides may represent a severe cause of death in wild and captive individuals. In order to better understand which Strongyloides species/subspecies infect orangutans under different conditions, larvae were isolated from fecal material collected in Indonesia from 9 captive, 2 semi-captive and 9 wild individuals, 18 captive groups of Bornean orangutans and from 1 human working with wild orangutans. Genotyping was done at the genomic rDNA locus (part of the 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer 1, ITS1) by sequencing amplicons. Thirty isolates, including the one from the human, could be identified as S. fuelleborni fuelleborni with 18S rRNA gene identities of 98·5–100%, with a corresponding published sequence. The ITS1 sequences could be determined for 17 of these isolates revealing a huge variability and 2 main clusters without obvious pattern with regard to attributes of the hosts. The ITS1 amplicons of 2 isolates were cloned and sequenced, revealing considerable variability indicative of mixed infections. One isolate from a captive individual was identified as S. stercoralis (18S rRNA) and showed 99% identity (ITS1) with S. stercoralis sequences from geographically distinct locations and host species. The findings are significant with regard to the zoonotic nature of these parasites and might contribute to the conservation of remaining orangutan populations.

The Global Program for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) intends to achieve its aims through yearly mass treatments with albendazole (ABZ) combined with ivermectin (IVM) or diethylcarbamazine (DEC). The use of ABZ and IVM separately to combat parasites of veterinary importance has, on many occasions, resulted in widespread drug resistance. In order to help predict the spread of potential ABZ resistance alleles through a population of Wuchereria bancrofti, we have developed a mathematical model that incorporates population genetics into EPIFIL, a model which examines the transmission dynamics of the parasite. Our model considers the effect of the combined treatments on the frequency of a recessive allele, which confers ABZ resistance. The model predicts that after 10 yearly treatments with ALB and DEC, 85% coverage and an initial resistance allele frequency of 5%, the frequency of the resistance genotype will increase from 0·25 to 12·7%. If non-random mating is assumed, the initial genotype frequency will be 2·34% and will increase to 62·7%. ABZ and IVM combination treatment may lead to weaker selection for this genotype. Treatment coverage, initial allele frequencies and number of treatments also affect the rate of selection.

The age dependency of the mortality, spontaneous de-tailing and infectivity of cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni has been determined at 25 °C. Infectivity was assessed with respect to stratum corneum-like differentiated human keratinocyte cultures (validated by comparison with fresh human skin samples) and displayed a complex age-dependent pattern. From 1 to 9 h post-emergence cercariae showed a plateau of maximal infectivity (around 90% attachment). Thereafter, infectivity declined. Immediately after release, infectivity at around 60% was significantly lower than the plateau values and this could be an adaptation for spatial dispersal of cercariae. Age-dependent patterns of cercarial mortality and spontaneous de-tailing closely mirrored the infectivity pattern except in relation to the low initial infectivity value. These findings suggest that, at a population level, the age-dependent decline in cercarial infectivity towards human skin is essentially driven by cercarial mortality. The recently described phenomenon of delayed tail loss (DTL) in S. mansoni cercariae infecting human skin is confirmed in the present study. For cercariae aged up to 13·5 h post-emergence, 90% or more of invading cercariae took their tails with them into the keratinocyte culture. The infection dynamics described in this study suggest that diurnally shed S. mansoni cercariae, with peak emergence around mid-day, will have near maximal infectivity towards humans in contact with water through all remaining daylight hours in the tropics.

Parasites should be better at infecting hosts from sympatric populations than allopatric populations most of the time (parasite local adaptation). In a previous study of a population of snail parasites (Microphallus sp.) from Lake Alexandrina, New Zealand, we found that Microphallus was more infective to snails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in shallow water but not in deep water. Here, we repeated the original study and also monitored the development of the parasite. We found that parasites from shallow water were more infective to hosts from shallow water and developed more rapidly in these hosts. In contrast, parasites from deep water were not more infective to hosts from deep water and did not develop more rapidly in them. These results suggest clinal variation in the susceptibility of these snails, with shallow-water snails more susceptible than deep-water snails. We offer 2 possible explanations for these results. First, gene flow in the Microphallus population is primarily from shallow to deep water, leading to an asymmetric pattern of local adaptation. Alternatively, snails from shallow water may be more susceptible for reasons independent of gene flow, perhaps due to differences in host condition between habitats.